| Owens Peak | |
| Elevation Ft: | 8452 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 2173 |
| Prominence Ref: | [2] |
| Range: | Sierra Nevada |
| Listing: | Sierra Peaks Section[3] Hundred Peaks Section[4] |
| Location: | Kern County, California, U.S. |
| Map: | USA California |
| Map Width: | 220 |
| Coordinates: | 35.7383°N -117.997°W |
| Topo: | USGS Owens Peak |
| Easiest Route: | Hike, |
Owens Peak is the highest point in the southern Sierra Nevada, at more than above sea level. The peak stands near the center of the Owens Peak Wilderness, which was designated by the United States Congress in 1994, and it now has a total of 74060acres. The eastern watershed of Owens Peak is composed of three main canyons: Grapevine Canyon, Short Canyon, and Indian Wells Canyon (north to south, respectively). The Sierra Nevada meets the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert here, creating an unusual ecosystem.
Owens Peak is located in Kern County, about west-northwest of Inyokern and north of Los Angeles.
Owens Peak is named after Richard Owens (1812–1902), an Ohio-born explorer (aka "Owings"), who accompanied John C. Frémont on his third expedition to California (1845–1846). Frémontalso named a valley, river and lake for Owens, whom he considered "cool, brave and of good judgment".[5] Owens served as a captain in Frémont's California Battalion during the Mexican–American War and was California's Secretary of State during Frémont's brief tenure as governor (1847).[6]